Espiritu Santo Island Tour

Yes, if you want to swim with sea lions; it is the main reason people go. The colony at Los Islotes is one of the few places where you can snorkel beside wild California sea lions, and the coves on the west side of the island, such as Ensenada Grande, are among the clearest water near La Paz. The day is long, about six hours with a 45- to 90-minute boat ride each way, and from June to August the colony is closed to swimming. Outside summer, the island day is worth a full day of a La Paz trip.

About 45 to 90 minutes each way, depending on where you leave from and the sea. Tours from the Muelle Fiscal on the malecón have the longest ride; tours from Marina Costa Baja or Pichilingue, north of town, are closer to the islands. On windy days in winter and spring the swell slows the boats, and sometimes keeps them from reaching Los Islotes at all. If you get seasick, take tablets before you board.

Yes, on a licensed tour; the usual risks are sun, swell and seasickness. The island is an uninhabited national park with no shops or water, so tours bring everything with them. Sea lions are wild animals: the pups are playful, but adult males can be territorial, which is one reason the colony is closed to swimmers during the June to August breeding season. Guides set the distance and the time in the water. Bees and wasps can be present on the beaches, so bring what you need if you are allergic.

By boat only, almost always on a day tour from La Paz. There is no ferry, and the island is a protected national park, so boats need permits and visitors pay a park fee, included in most tour prices. Tours leave from the Muelle Fiscal on the malecón, Marina Costa Baja or Marina Asipona, run about six to seven hours and include snorkel gear and lunch. Kayak outfitters also run multi-day trips with camping on the island. The sea lion day in the booking box leaves from the malecón.

Yes, by camping with a permit; there are no hotels. Camping is allowed in designated areas of the national park, and most people do it on a guided kayaking or glamping trip from La Paz that arranges the permit and carries the gear. For a single visit, a day tour is the simpler way to see the colony and the coves.

From September to May; the colony is closed to swimming from June to August. Summer is the breeding season, when the pups are young and the males defend their territory. Tours still run then: they watch the colony from the boat and snorkel at another site. The rest of the year the swim is on, though strong wind can keep boats away from the rocks on some days. Groups stay with the colony for about 30 minutes.

The sea lion colony, red volcanic cliffs above white-sand coves, and very clear water. The archipelago is part of the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California, a World Heritage site, and its marine zone is a Mexican national park. Besides the sea lions, visitors see frigatebirds nesting at San Gabriel Bay, reef fish around the rocks and, from March to June, schools of mobula rays in the channels nearby.

On most tours from La Paz, yes; check the listing. The sea lion day in the booking box and Punta Baja Tours' island day include the protected-area fees. Sunrider's seven-hour tour charges the dock fee and the island fee in cash on the day. Alcohol, tips and land transfers to the marina are usually extra.

Holy Spirit. Isla Espíritu Santo is Spanish for Holy Spirit Island, a name from the Spanish colonial period in Baja California. Some tour listings translate it, so a 'Holy Spirit Island' tour from La Paz is the same trip.